Meeting Casanova
by XxXMiyavisHeartXxX
Summary: Ashton and Vanessa are on a road trip as part of a graduation present and are travelling throughout the states. During their second day in LA, Ashton runs into Bill Kaulitz, and the entire summer will change once the two girls get involved with the twins from Tokio Hotel. Ashton/Bill Kaulitz, Vanessa/Tom Kaulitz. Rated M for possible future...stuff that might go on.
1. Summer Surprises

It was only about a week after summer break had started, and it was the night that Ashton and her best friend, Vanessa, were to start out on the trip that they had been looking forward to for months. As part of a graduation present, Ashton's parents had told her that they would pay for her to take a month long road trip with her friend. It was a great present she had thought. It was finally the time for the two of them to get out of the city, and just spend time hanging out. This last year of high school was very dramatic for both of them, and most of it was just usually catty bullshit from girls who were their friends half the time, and their enemies the next. It was just annoying after a while having to deal with them, and then calming Vanessa down afterwards. Despite being best friends, Ashton and her handled things completely different. While Ashton was very calm, and usually just ignored people who were bitchy or catty, Vanessa was dramatic and always took it personally.

At least it was all over now. High school was done with and they had the chance to get out of the city and away from the fights that had developed. Vanessa had throughout the year, been constantly on about a friend of theirs that she had liked. It was just so obvious that they both liked each other, and at one point Ashton was ready to plot a devious plan to get them together before she pulled her hair out at the annoying obliviousness of the two, but luckily for her (and her hair) the two had gotten together before the end of the year. Now they were all over the other, and he was all Ashton ever heard Vanessa talk about for the last few months of school, but at least she didn't have to deal with them and the awkwardness that there was beforehand.

Putting the last of her bags at the front door, Ashton sat down on the sofa to wait for Vanessa's parents to drop her off at the house. The three bags and her purse were all stacked neatly by the door. Yes, three bags. Ashton had packed sensibly, but a girl still needed what she needed. After all it was a month long, and they were going to be travelling all throughout the states, so who knew what the temperature would be like? With all the different options of clothes, plus her make-up and hair supplies, there were three very full and heavy bags as the end result. Leaning her head back against the sofa, she sighed bored. Earlier in the day, she had been over at her best guy friend's house.

Ashton had met Cameron, Cam for short, on the first day of Grade Eleven on the bus to school. Her and her friends had noticed him, having not saw him before, and figured he was a new kid, since he looked too old to be in Grade Ten. While her friends were content just occasionally talking about him, she had gone over and started up a conversation with him, and the rest was history. They hung out every day on the bus to and from school, talking about whatever came to their minds. They grew really close over the two years, and to be completely honest Ashton wasn't sure how she felt towards him. During the first year knowing him, her parents had invited him to dinner with them for New Years' and since then she knew that she felt something towards him, but she was sick of ruining all her friendships by wanting to be more than friends, so she had promised herself that she wouldn't like him. But as Grade Twelve drew to a close, she realized that she couldn't ignore the fact that she really did like him. However, she refused to tell him. They had hung out earlier that day, as a last time before she was gone for so long, and nothing even seemed to really change, despite her realizing her feelings. She was very good at hiding them though, to be honest. Years of practice, maybe.

The doorbell rang, and Ashton grinned, quickly getting up and answering the door, hugging her best friend. "Oh thank god you're here, I'm so bored!" They giggled and brought Vanessa's bags into the house. After all they weren't leaving until early the next morning. Once everything was ready to go, they made a pizza and got ready for bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. They had gone over their map, going over each stop and which hotels they were staying at. Ashton's parents were decently rich since her dad was a big time CEO at a cell phone company, one that probably most of you use. So her parents were paying for everything and had given her a card for a bank account that they would put money in for her and Vanessa during the trip. Once they had curled up into the bed and set the alarm, they lay there in excitement. Ashton could hardly wait.

~!~

The next morning they were on the road heading for Los Angeles. It was about a four hour drive, but they wanted to get there early and get everything put away so that they could shop 'til they dropped. Ashton drove her old white '97 Honda Accord down the highway. It was her baby; something she had actually paid for herself, which explains why it was a run-down piece of junk metal, as her parents had called it. They had wanted to get her a Camaro for her 16th birthday, but she was determined to get it herself; without her parent's help.

"Ugh," Vanessa made a noise as she shifted in the passenger's seat, "Okay, time to wake up. Let's get some music going!" Ashton grinned and nodded and turned the radio on. She grinned as she heard the familiar guitar melody of "Breakaway" from her favorite band, Tokio hotel. She heard Vanessa groan as soon as she heard it. No matter how hard Ashton had tried, she just could not get her best friend to like the music of her favorite band, even after showing her a picture of the four hot boys. For some strange reason (maybe she was an alien from some music hating planet or something), she just did not find the four men attractive. Ashton just couldn't understand, but she had let her friend be. She knew a lost cause when she saw one, but one day she knew that Vanessa would grow to like the band. Who couldn't? But for now, she enjoyed putting her friend to torture as she sang along with the band's vocalist.

"I really don't see what is so appealing about this music…can't we change it?" Vanessa begged, reaching to change the channel. Ashton instantly, but gently slapped her hand away.

"Hands off 'nessa," she said, using the well-used nickname, "It's almost over anyways, just wait…" Ashton sighed. One day.

They sang to the music as the small, white car zoomed down the highway. It was nice to finally get out of that city. It was nice to feel free, and they were enjoying themselves. Finally, it was time to let loose and enjoy themselves. Ashton was looking around as they drove, having quieted down since they stopped for lunch, Vanessa still eating her hamburger as they drove. For some reason, no matter how many Big Mac's that girl ate, she was still a twig. Ashton was slightly jealous about her friend's good looks. Vanessa was tall with long, blonde hair, bright blue eyes and the body of a model. Of course, Vanessa was planning to go into modeling now that high school was done. Ashton on the other hand, wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do with her life. She couldn't possibly get into the modeling; she was not near thin enough. Not to say that she was chunky at all, in fact she was only one size bigger than Vanessa and they often shared clothes. Ashton had medium length brown-Auburn hair, which was usually kept in waves, as it naturally went after it was washed. Her eyes were green and she had freckles that covered her cheeks and nose. Yeah, she was definitely not model material. But her and Vanessa did know a thing or two about fashion and they showed It off whenever they could. Each outfit, accessories and all, were carefully planned along with their make-up.

"Oh my God! We're here!" Vanessa squealed as they approached the city. Ashton grinned and looked at the winding overpasses and many car lanes as they drove into the big city. The buildings surrounded them as they drove. It was so exciting to finally be out and about by themselves, and in LA of all places! Arriving at their motel they paid for the two nights and brought their bags in. Flopping down on the bed, Ashton grinned. "I can't believe we're finally doing this! After so much planning!" She squealed excitedly and bounced on the bed happily. Vanessa was checking her reflection after the drive, reapplying her make-up and fixing her hair. Ashton rolled her eyes and fell back against the bed. "Well we have all day and tomorrow to do whatever. I was thinking we'd go shopping tomorrow and just hang out today. What do you think?" she spoke, knowing that although Vanessa was preoccupied, she'd be able to hear her.

"Yeah, okay that sounds great. Why don't we go check out the outdoor pool and the free food? I'm starved!" she said, patting her flat stomach. Ashton sat up and stared at her incredulously. "How the hell are you hungry? We just ate like an hour ago!"

"I don't know! I just am!" Vanessa tried to make up an excuse, shrugging her tanned shoulders. Ashton rolled her eyes and got one of her bags opening it. "Well, why don't we change, grab some food and go to the pool?" Nodding her head, Vanessa followed her friends actions and grabbed one of her own bags. Once changed, Ashton wore her jean booty shorts and a loose white t-shirt over her bright blue swim suit. Gucci sunglasses were on her head, currently in place of a headband pushing her straightened hair back. Vanessa came out of the bathroom, wearing similar shorts with a fitted blue and white stripped tank over her own purple swimsuit, her hair brushed to one side.

~!~

After grabbing two plates each of food, they made their way to the pool as the sun shined brightly. Setting the food on the table between the two day beds, they stripped the clothes off so just their swimsuits and laid back against the comfy beds, ready to tan. Ashton picked up a French fry and dipped it in ketchup before eating it happily. "This is perfect. I can finally get the tan I've been wanting!" Ashton grinned and lay down against the back of the chair enjoying the rays of sun. When she heard her phone vibrate, she looked over and picked it up, rolling her eyes when she saw a text from her mom. "Who's that?" Vanessa asked curiously. "Just my mom, asking if we made it alright. Ugh, she's so annoying! I hope she doesn't do this the entire trip!" Quickly texting her back that they made it alright and were now by the pool, she set her phone aside, only to have it buzz again soon after.

_Don't let those LA boys gawk over you two! Be safe!_

Ashton rolled her eyes and set her phone aside again, just relaxing, until she heard Vanessa make an approving noise. Blinking, she looked over at her friend, seeing the blonde watching a couple boys in the pool with impressed eyes. Giggling, she threw a French fry at the distracted blonde. Vanessa gave her an annoyed look but continued to enjoy the view. Ashton smiled and continued to suntan. She knew that she could have also enjoyed the view, but even if she wanted to, Cameron would just come back into her mind. What was he doing right now? Was he missing her?...Was she even missing him?

~!~

The two girls had spent the majority of the day at the pool, getting a nice tan, and occasionally enjoying a nice swim and the free food. Once it had gotten dark, they had ventured back inside and watched movies on TV until they fell asleep. Now, by the next morning, they were sharing the mirror as they applied their make-up. Ashton was wearing short, white jean shorts and a strapless peach colored top, while Vanessa sported a sexy summer dress with her hair curled. Vanessa had offered to curl Ashton's hair, and against her better judgement, her hair now had cute curls at the ends of her hair. She wasn't sure if she really liked it or not.

They took their car downtown and parked it in THE ONLY free parking spot they could find, after hours of searching. By the time they had found it, Ashton was starting to believe that the world didn't believe in free parking anymore. What a sad thing to realize. Getting out, the girls looked up and down the busy street. They had picked this particular area because it was common to see celebrities in the area, and they were not going to turn down a chance to run into Leonardo DiCaprio or Channing Tatum. Personally, Ashton didn't care too much for either of the famous men, though they were muscle-tastic. She would prefer Bill, the singer from Tokio hotel, over any American boy. Of course, that was never going to happen. She hadn't even seen anything online about the cute raven haired boy and his twin since they had disappeared for almost a year now. Vanessa of course didn't understand why this fact was so hard to live with, but Ashton refused to give up on the idea of the band coming back someday.

The two girls wandered down the street, finding a small, outdoor market. Grinning as they started walking through the small stores, they looked at the clothes, shoes and accessories. They were having a field day. Or at least, Vanessa was. She already had four bags of assorted "goodies" she had gotten. Ashton on the other hand, just looked around, hoping to find something that she really liked. Despite having the money to do so, Ashton really didn't like wasting money, especially her parent's money since they were paying for everything she bought on this trip. As they wandered into an accessory store, she watched as Vanessa wandered off throughout the store, eager to grab anything she even remotely thought was cute. It was almost as if she was afraid if she didn't grab it right away, somebody else would. Ashton just shook her head, and looked around.

As she looked at some shirts set up on a table in the store, she looked up as someone walked into the store. She froze. She couldn't believe her eyes. At the front of the store, checking out different pairs of sunglasses, was none other than Bill Kaulitz. She was sure of it, though it was hard to tell at first. He had changed dramatically from the last time anything had been said on the internet. Last she had heard, he was still sporting the black Mohawk, but now he was blonde and haircut that strangely looked a lot like both Mily Cyrus and Pink's hair put together, though she must admit, it looked good on him. It was shaved on either side leaving a strip of hair along the top which was fashionable styled into spikes, though small pieces of the blonde hair had fallen into his eyes, though he didn't seem to notice. She wouldn't have recognized him if it hadn't been for the tattoos, and her amazing fan girl inside of her that could recognize his face anywhere. This was without a doubt the singer she had admired, just with a new hair-do and a few extra piercings.

Ashton couldn't believe her luck. Her second day in the new city, and she just ran into her idol, the man she had secret thoughts about when she was alone about the two of them. Okay, now before you get all weirded out, EVERY fan girl has done this at LEAST a dozen times, so don't judge! Ashton didn't know what to do. He was right there, all she had to do was go and talk to him. But with him being famous, wouldn't he just think she was a crazed fan girl or paparazzi and run off? There was a high possibility, but she couldn't just let this moment pass her, could she? Unfortunately, she could. There was no way she would have the guts to go and talk to the magnificent being in front of her. Instead, she just picked through the clothes, glancing up at him every other moment. She looked at a cute purple shirt, not sure if she liked it or not, setting it aside and glancing up again at the star. Oh _shit! _He was looking right at her. Ashton could have fainted.


	2. Date Plans

_She looked at a cute purple shirt, not sure if she liked it or not, setting it aside and glancing up again at the star. Oh shit! He was looking right at her. Ashton could have fainted._

_~!~_

They looked at each other for a second, Bill not looking away and Ashton too stunned to know what to do. At some point, she came back to her senses, blushes deeply and looked down. What had just happened? Did she just have eye contact with THE Bill Kaulitz? What in the world was going on? She wondered if he was still looking. Should she chance another glance? She decided to chance it and looked up again. He was looking at the sunglasses but looked at her and smiled. She let out a quiet squeak and looked down, though looked at him and smiled a bit, blushing. She looked at him as he gave a small, half-smirk smile. She couldn't help but giggle a bit at the smile he'd given her. It was so quirky, and so…him. It just suited him really well.

As she wandered around the store, she constantly shot glances at the blonde male, blushing and grinning when he caught her and smiled back. What were they doing? Were they actually flirting with one another? Bill Kaulitz and her, flirting? There's no way that this is actually happening. Ashton got so deep into her thoughts, and the occasional glance that she had completely forgotten about Vanessa until she appeared suddenly beside her.

"Ash, do you like these shoes? I think I'm going to get them?" Vanessa's voice popped up out of nowhere, making Ashton yelp and jump in surprise. She blushed as she heard the tall star chuckle lightly, having obviously seen her little episode. Looking at Vanessa, slightly annoyed at the fact that she had just embarrassed herself, she glanced at the shoes. They were high-heeled red pumps with white polka dots. Totally something that Vanessa would pick out, of course. Rolling her eyes, Ashton smiles and nodded. "They look great! Go get 'um girl." Watching Vanessa bounce over to the cash register, Ashton sighed and looked to where Bill was, only to see he wasn't there, but now in front of her. She tensed, unable to hold back a bit of nervousness at having the star so close. Looking up at him, she couldn't help but blush deeply. They had just been flirting throughout the entire store, so now what? She wasn't sure how she would react if he would start talking to her, but she was about to find out.

"Hallo," his voice was soft, and a smirk was playing at his lips. Ashton felt her knees weaken but she managed to keep it together. She desperately hoped that it wasn't noticeable how she could barely stand. His eyes were looking right at her, and she just looked at him, easily getting lost in them. It was like they never ended, like a window right into his mind. And right now, it was showing a mischievous look from the male. Wait, he was still flirting with her?! God, what was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to say anything? Sure it was fine when all she had to do was smile and blush and act cute, but now she had to actually say stuff, and not just any stuff, but something smart and funny and cute and oh my gosh this is just so much pressure! Ashton had to admit, the piercings and even the small amount of facial hair suited the other. It made the atmosphere around even more…what would she call it? Masculine….not that he wasn't already, but now…he pretty much radiated sex appeal. Anybody could agree to that. Even Vanessa would say that he looked hot, Ashton was sure of it. Realizing she had been rambling in her mind to herself for probably too long, and hoping the other hadn't been weirded out she blinked and smiled at him, acting as if she _wasn't _talking to possibly the hottest vocalist in the world.

"I…I'm sorry...," Ashton blushed deeply and looked up at him smiling softly. God, he was gorgeous. "Hello…." Wow, Ashton. You're so smart. 'Hello!'. Is that really all you could think of to say? He's going to think you're the most boring girl he's ever met and regret the last ten minutes you two were gawking over each other! Maybe he wasn't looking at her, and he was flirting with someone behind her ,and was coming to tell her to stop staring at him. It was a possibility…if Bill was accustomed to flirting with clothes! There was nobody but the three of them and the store owner inside. Vanessa hadn't even noticed him, so unless he was attracted to middle-aged chain smoking men (a.k.a the store owner), then it was definitely her. God, stop mind rambling! He's going to think you're crazy! Surprisingly, she heard him laugh lightly and she looked to him. She wondered if he thought she knew who he was or not. Probably not, or he would be running from her, not doubt.

"Cute," his voice spoke up. Ashton just stared at him, eyes wide. Did she just hear that correctly?

"Eehhh?" She knew the sound she made could have in no way been attractive, but for some reason she just didn't really care. Bill chuckled and smirked at her. He was totally checking her out! What the hell?! What was she supposed to do? Okay, sex ed didn't teach you what to do when a celebrity starts checking you out and flirting with you! Gah!

"You're not from around here, are you?" His voice spoke up again. She just looked at him and shook her head. She wasn't sure how he knew that. How could it possibly be that noticeable that she wasn't from LA? She didn't live more than four hours away, how different from them could she look? He must have noticed her confused gaze because he laughed again. God, that laugh was pure heaven. "You're not used to talking with celebrities is all," he explained. So obviously, he knew that she knew who he was, but just like Ashton she had to go and say something stupid.

"In my town it's not common to run into good looking German superstars…" Oh my god, did she really just say that?! Covering her mouth, a deep red blush on her cheeks from embarrassment, she looked at him, hoping her little outburst hadn't scared him away, but he was just standing there with that quirky grin on his face Ashton grinned seeing his quirky smile and giggled a little. For some reason, it didn't take long at all before she felt comfortable talking with him, despite her mouth's retardedness of spilling out anything she thought of. Bill was watching Ashton intently as if on the verge of saying something. She waited patiently but nervously, a smile still on her lips.

"So, you know who I am, but what's your name, sexy?" Ashton blushed and looked at him. "Ashton…yeah, I know it sounds like a boy's name but I swear it's a girl's name, too. I swear it!" She knew that her ever so common rant about her name was annoying, but really just hated when people said that she had a boy's name, because it really wasn't! It worked for both men and woman, and she had even met a few girls with her name before. It wasn't even that uncommon! Sometimes she figured that people just made fun of her name because they were bored. Like honestly, don't they have anything better to do with their time besides saying stupid things? Not that she could really say anything. Although it was completely different, she had pretty much been saying and asking stupid things throughout the entire conversation. Bill smirked and touched her cheek. Wow, such a charmer. Of course, she could have only guessed that beforehand. She had heard about the twin's "partying" and "make-out dates" but for some reason, it just seemed different this time. She knew that although there wasn't near as much press about it as with Bill's brother Tom, that Bill was just as guilty for the womanizing as his brother. She knew to watch out for it, but she couldn't detect any signs of "womanizing auras" from Bill. Ha! God, even she didn't like calling it that. He wasn't dressed like someone who was out to pick up chicks, though he did look quite nice. He was wearing simple black jeans, a white belt and a loose blank tank top with a few long necklaces and black, fingerless gloves and a pair of Elton John styled sunglasses hanging off the shirt. Ashton even noticed a new tattoo on his chest and the addition to the tattoo on his side.

"Well then," Bill said chuckling, and resting an arm on the table beside them, looking at her intently, "Ashton…how about you let me take you out tonight? Maybe dinner and some dancing?" Smirking at her, he waited for the answer, though already expecting a yes. Who would ever say no to THE Mr. Bill Kaulitz? Looking at her, he saw uncertainty which was odd. Did he had something in his teeth or something? What was taking her so long to answer? Ashton just stared at him. Bill…Kaulitz…asked _her_ out….to dinner….and…dancing? Oh my god…what in the world was she going to do? She was only here for the night and they were leaving the next morning…but, could she really turn down a date with the only man in the world she had thought more than two minutes about…well him and Cameron…oh damn…what about Cameron? Could she agree on a date with Bill, while knowing that she had feelings towards Cameron…? But Bill was interested in her now, and she had no idea of Cameron even felt the same way about her, and even if he did, did he want a relationship? It didn't really seem so.

Smiling at Bill, she nodded. "Dinner sounds great! Um…we're staying at the Super Eight just a little bit off the beach…if you, uh…yeah," smooth Ashton, real smooth, "what time were you thinking?" Bill grinned. He was actually worried that he had lost his touch for a second there, but he knew that nobody could resist his charm. Grinning, he made a mental note of the motel, knowing exactly where it was, and nodded to her.

"How about around six? Sound good?" Bill raised an eyebrow. He we hoping to get it all sorted out since his brother was waiting for him at home. Ashton grinned and nodded, making Bill grin happily. "Perfect! Here, write down your number and I'll call you when I get to your hotel to pick you up." Bill pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and borrowed a pen from the middle aged cashier. After writing her number down, Ashton blushed and gave the paper back to Bill, a small grin on her lips. "Great, I'll see you then." Bill grinned and left happily. Ashton was blushing deeply, and actually felt a little dizzy by the end of it all. What had just happened? Did she really just agree to go on a date with Bill Kaulitz?! Oh my god…. She took a deep breath and leaned against the table. Wow…she was so excited, she couldn't stop grinning! Then she thought of something… Vanessa. This was their road trip. Was she really going to leave her at the hotel to go and have a good time with Bill? God knows she wanted to. And Vanessa was dating Kevin anyways. What should it matter? She would just have to talk to her and explain. There was no way she was going to let this opportunity pass that easily!


	3. A Night Out For Two

Ashton was touching up her make=up, waiting for a phone call or text from Bill to signal that he had arrived. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in her nice black skinny jeans and a shiny sleeveless silver top that went over only one arm. She had a nice little black jean coat to keep her warm and black leather high heeled boots. Her make-up was done mostly black with a touch of silver, and she admitted to herself that even though she may have spent a big too much time getting ready, she looked amazing, and ready to do anything Bill may have had in store for their date. She stopped when she realized how dirty that thought could have been taken. Giggling a bit, she hair sprayed the curls at the ends of her hair again. Turning to Vanessa, who had easily agreed to her going out on the date, she sighed.

"I guess this is the best it's gonna be!" Ashton said with a sigh and sat on the bed beside her friend. Vanessa shook her head and stared at her friend. She had just gotten possibly the best date(in Ashton's point of view of course), and she still didn't think she looked good enough? It was almost tiring how nothing seemed to be good enough for whoever the hell this guy was. She was anxious to see him, though Ashton had said he probably wouldn't even come to the door.

"Seriously, Ashton, you look great for the fifteenth time. I'm sure he'll think the same!" Vanessa watched Ashton pace back and forth a bit, constantly checking the time. Vanessa rolled her eyes and sat back, looking at her phone. She had agreed to the other going out on the date at first just to shut her up about how cool and awesome it was, but later was glad that the other was going. She could finally call her boyfriend Kevin! It was only the second day away, but she missed him so much! Ashton gasped and looked at her phone as it dinged. She squealed and quickly put her boots on. Vanessa rolled her eyes. "I'm guessing he's here?" Ashton just nodded, put her coat on and opened the door looking around for signs of the other, looking for the bright blonde hair. She saw Bill leaning against a red convertible and smiled. He looked good in the blue shirt and leather jacket he had changed into since the last time she saw him. Smiling happily, she went out to meet him. Vanessa peaked out the door and was shocked. Wow. He actually was hot; really hot. Vanessa almost changed her mind about joining them on their date; she thought with a smirk but closed the door. She couldn't do that to Ashton. Kudos to here though.

"Hey! Ready to go?" Bill spoke up, grinning as he looked Ashton over. She looked great! Ashton grinned, blushing a bit as she noticed him check her out, and nodded. Grinning, Bill stood up from leaning and went around opening her door for her. Once she got in, he hopped into the driver's seat and drove off to the restaurant.

~!~

"Kevin, it's not even a big deal, really! I can handle being by myself for one night!" Vanessa sighed as her boyfriend spoke loudly, pissed that her friend had left her alone on the second night of their trip. It was getting annoying how he was always calling Ashton out on things that weren't even true. He even tried to convince her that Ashton had some sort of girl-crush on her. Sometimes, boys can be real assholes. Like right now for instance. "I mean, he _was _really good looking. I'm proud of her for finding someone that hot. Plus apparently he's like some big name singer in Germany that she's totally into." Shrugging, Vanessa focused on painting her toe nails a bright pink as she listened to her boyfriend talk, sighs and sits back setting the nail polish aside. "Isn't there something else we can talk about? What have you been up to since we've been gone?" Kevin's voice was hesitant before speaking.

"Well, uh…I hung out with Erin last night. We went to this party with a bunch of people. It was nothing big, but we got pretty wasted." Vanessa pouted at that. It wasn't the first time Kevin had hung out with Erin without saying anything beforehand. He had even had the nerve to go to prom with her at her school, then make up some stupid excuse to not go with her to her own and instead went out to dinner with her friend, Sam. She could hear Ashton's voice in the back of her head, _why are you even dating him if he keeps doing so many stupid things like this and hurting you? _Vanessa couldn't really explain why she put up with all the shit that Kevin did, and for all the stuff he refused to admit doing until she found out. She hadn't even known until a month after Erin's grad night that they had hung out in her _hot tub _afterwards. God knows what they might have done, but yet she was still with him. It was weird, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to break up with him. They had gone through most of their final year of high school, knowing the liked each other but too nervous to do anything about it, and when they finally were together it seemed like everything was trying to pull them apart. Though the more she thought about it, the more it seemed it was Kevin that was trying to keep them apart. The thought made her feel down, tears gathering in her eyes as she chewed on her lip quietly. "Vanessa, are you still there?" Vanessa blinked and nodded, then remembered that he couldn't see her doing that.

"Yeah, I'm here," she said quietly, "So; uh…what did you two do then?" Vanessa asked carefully, hoping he would tell her the truth. Of course, he probably wouldn't but she was really good by now to tell when he was lying. After all he had plenty of practice with him. If he didn't tell the truth, she wasn't sure what she would do. This would be the second time with the same girl. She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to put up with it. She loved Kevin. She had lost her virginity to Kevin, and she didn't regret it, but it was just getting ridiculous how much he was lying to her, and now even possibly cheating. Of course she didn't want to assume anything though. Even if he was lying there was no guarantee that he was cheating.

"Oh come on Vanessa, don't start with that again. We didn't do anything. You gotta have more faith in me!" Vanessa rolled her eyes. She was so sick of his pathetic lying. Even now it was obvious.

"Look, I have to go…Talk to you later," she said quietly, tired of the conversation. She heard Kevin sigh.

"Yeah okay. Just, don't be mad. Seriously, nothing happened." Another lie. "I'll talk to you later, then. I love you." She just made a small 'uh-huh' noise and hung up. Sighing, she threw the phone aside and contemplated what to do next. Unable to think of anything else, she decided to take a walk on the beach. Putting on a sweater as it had gotten somewhat chilly out, she walked down the street in her flip flops until she got to the beach. It was dark out by now and the moon was out, shining against the glassy surface of the water. Vanessa smiled sadly and walked along the beach, taking her flip flops off to feel the sand between her toes. There was a small breeze that made small swells in the water, and she eventually sat down, watching the water, deep in thought. What was she going to do about Kevin? She didn't want to deal with this anymore…but could she really break up with him while she was away? Could she really break up with the only guy she had trusted enough to sleep with? Now it seemed though that the trust may have been given to the wrong person after all. Sighing at that, she closed her eyes and just listened to the waves.

She barely noticed as someone walked up, only hearing the footsteps as a twig broke underfoot. Looking up, she saw a delightfully sexy man standing in front of her in loose summer shorts and a long white button up top. His hair was in black dreadlocks which suited his face very well. Vanessa could feel her cheeks heat up as she saw him looking at her. She hoped that he wasn't here to tell her to leave, or she might just be embarrassed enough to never, ever speak to another hot guy again. Looking up at him, she wondered what he was doing, but he just spoke a soft "Hey" and sat next to her, she smiled a bit. Looking at him, she was surprised by how casually he just sat beside her. He seemed nervous at first, but for some reason when she did and said nothing, he relaxed. Vanessa found this odd but smiled a bit and kept watching and listening to the ocean. She didn't really know why he was there, but they seemed to be able to just sit there and listen to the ocean together in silence; and it was comfortable. She actually found herself enjoying the quiet time beside the man. It was a very welcome change.

~!~

Ashton giggled as they walked down the street, dinner long over as they just enjoyed each other's company. Bill was chatting away excitedly about his many dogs and the trouble that they had gotten into over the years. Ashton couldn't keep the grin off her face as she listened to some of the insane stories, watching Bill's arms flail about as he spoke. It was just too funny how into the conversation he could get. All throughout dinner she had noticed that he spoke with his hands a lot. It was cute, she had decided. She wasn't entirely sure where they were going for the dancing, but Bill had mentioned that it was close to the restaurant, so that they could walk, enjoy a conversation and see more of LA at nighttime. She had willingly agreed and was glad she did. This way she could hear Bill talk more instead of him having to focus on driving. Besides they probably got their quicker walking then being in the huge traffic jam they called the streets of LA.

Ashton looked up as Bill stopped in a huge mass of people. Blinking she looked around. Where were they? Looking up she saw a bright sign that obviously showed it was a night club. Bill wanted to take her to a night club to dance! That was so awesome, she thought, grinning. Her grin faded slightly though. She wasn't even old enough to be in there. She was only nineteen, going on twenty. Didn't she need to be twenty-one to get into a club? Looking at Bill, she wasn't sure if she wanted to say something or not. Did he know she was underage? Obviously not if he was bringing her here. Would he still be interested if he knew? Probably not. But wouldn't it be more embarrassing if the bouncer asked her for idea, and she couldn't do anything about it? She figured she better just tell him and deal with the consequences ahead of time, and save them both the embarrassment, and the possibility of the press getting at it, and trying to make him out to be a pedophile or something like that. Not what he needed, and really neither did she. What if her parents saw her face on a magazine with the same headlines as the word pedophile? Things would not go so well. The whole trip would be shut down and she would be forced to return home, even though she was well old enough to be making her own decisions. Just not this decision. Not in the eyes of the law at least. Looking at Bill, she bit her lip. What was she going to say?

"Bill…uh…I'm actually…not –" she was surprised when he cut her off, a small smile on his face.

"Old enough? Yeah I know," he laughed. "I figured as much. I don't mind as long as you're not like…sixteen or something like that. That would be a little weird for me." He chuckled and continued. "Don't worry about this. If you get in with me, they won't bother asking." Going up to the door, he looked at the door, telling him who he was, showing a VIP pass, and smiled at him. The bouncer was obviously new, because he studied the VIP pass, obviously thinking it must be a fake. Bill got a bit annoyed as the man had to go inside to get it checked. Really? Of all the nights for this to happen. He grimaced a bit, and didn't look at Ashton. It was kind of embarrassing after all. And to make it worse, the paparazzi just had to show up. Seeing the first flash, he stood in front of Ashton as if he didn't know her so that they couldn't and wouldn't bother to be taking pictures of her. Why did this have to happen tonight? Like she would want this? He'd be lucky if he got a second date with this happening.

"Bill! Bill, are you having trouble getting into the club? Why aren't they letting you in?" He tried his best to ignore them, keeping the sunglasses on his face to help with ignoring them, glad when the bouncer finally came back out. He nodded to the man when he apologized, took Ashton's hand, still keeping her hidden as they went into the club. He let out a relieved sigh when the cameras finally couldn't get to them anymore. He looked down at her, hoping that she was horrified, freaked out or mad or anything like that. To his surprise, she looked a bit shocked, but still smiling.

"Nice moves getting rid of them," she said, obviously impressed by how easily the other was able to ignore them. Well that was a first for him. Usually fans would just start getting worried about him apparently "changing" or getting "rude" or "unhappy". He rolled his eyes at the thought and smiled at her, quickly realizing that she might have thought the eye roll was towards her. Walking in through the club, they went into the VIP section and sat down in one of the booths. He pulled her gently to sit beside him instead of across from him. He liked it better this way. They were closer.

"Would you like something to drink?" Ashton nodded, but she didn't really know what to get. She hadn't exactly been drinking before. In fact the only drink she'd ever had before was a cooler that her mom had given her during the summer at one of their many barbeques. It was good, but she wasn't exactly sure that was the sort of thing that they served here. "What would you like?"

"Actually, I really have no idea," she said, blushing. It was so embarrassing to admit how little she knew about this. Especially when he seemed so comfortable in this setting. Bill just smiled and leaned over passed her and grabbed a small, paper menu that was laying on the table, showing her the list of drinks. Well, duh. Way to go, Ashton. Brilliant as always, she told herself sarcastically. Looking over the drinks, she still couldn't really decide which one would taste good. She had no notion of what each alcohol tasted like. She set the paper down and looked at him, putting a slightly flirtatious smile on her lips. Hey, why not? She had already made a fool of herself plenty enough times and he was still here. That had to be a good sign, right? "Why don't you order one for me? I'll take your word that it'll be good." Bill grinned and ordered them two drinks named Hurricanes. She looked at the list and noticed that it had fruit juice with two different types of rum in it. Hmm, sounded interesting.

"Now, they're really good, but I wouldn't drink it too fast, or have more than a couple. They're kind of strong," she heard Bill say. She smiled and nodded. This was fun already. Sitting here, talking with Bill over the sound of the loud music as they waited for their drinks. When they arrived she cautiously took a sip and grinned. It really was good!

~!~

Vanessa was walking with the guy from the beach, blushing as they talked about different things; mostly people. For some reason, Vanessa felt really comfortable around this unnamed stranger, and after sitting with him quietly for what seemed like hours, they had begun talking and the big mess with Kevin just came up. Of course, the man had advised her to break up with him. She knew that he was right when he said that she shouldn't have to put up with shit like that. She knew he was right, because people had been telling her that for a while now. But she was still unsure. She wasn't sure if the man could tell. She hoped not. She didn't want to seem rude by ignoring his advice. She really liked him. After they had gotten past the whole "Kevin" topic, they had moved on and the man had even talked a bit about some of his past relationships. It was so strange how they could talk about things like this with a complete stranger. She knew that it wasn't common. She knew she would never be able to talk about it depth like they did with just anybody, but this man was different. It was just so comfortable around him.

They had eventually left the beach once Vanessa mentioned that she should head back to her hotel. After all, she didn't know when Ashton was going to be coming back, and her not being there when she got back could easily make her friend worry. The man seemed disappointed that she had to go, and suggested that he walk her back. After all, it was really late by this point, and LA wasn't safe at night, as you know. She wasn't sure if he was concerned, using it as an excuse to talk longer or both. She was leaning towards the last option, or at least that's what she hoped it to be. She smiled as they walked, and blushed as he slowly took her hand in his as they walked. She didn't protest because it just felt so right. What else was she supposed to do? Getting back to the hotel, she stopped in front of the room door and looked at him, smiling thankfully.

"Thanks for walking me back. It was nice talking to you tonight, but I don't think I ever caught you name." She really hoped that he had a good enough time to even give her his name. He seemed a little hesitant and she worried for a bit. Why would he hesitate when they had just been talking for so long? He smiled eventually though and looked at her with a small smirk.

"Forgive me, I completely forgot to introduce myself. It's usually the first thing I do," he said with a small laugh, "My name is Tom. What's yours?"

"Vanessa," she said with a small smile.

"Well, Vanessa, it was great talking with you tonight. I'm guessing by the fact you're in a hotel that you won't be staying in LA for very long, but you would want to trade numbers? I'd like to talk to you still, even if you're not close by. I feel very comfortable talking with you, and trust me when I say for me that's really rare." Vanessa grinned and nodded eagerly. They switched phones for a second and put their numbers in each other's phones. Tom smiled once they gave each other's phones back, leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Sleep well, beautiful." Vanessa blushed deeply said goodnight and watched him walk off with that small smirk before going inside herself. Ashton wasn't back yet luckily and she fell back on her bed. WOW! He was so amazing! Why couldn't they just stay here for a little bit longer! She grinned and squealed happily. She did still have his number! If nothing else, she had just made a new, really close friend. Looking at the clock she realized that it was already three in the morning. Where was Ashton? Vanessa wondered if she should be worried, but then she remembered that after all, she was on a date with a celebrity. That would make her want to stay out all night. If nothing else, they probably just got caught by the paparazzi and were stuck somewhere. She would probably be back soon anyways. Her friend usually couldn't last very long stay awake past two or three in the morning. She wouldn't be surprised if Bill brought her back, passed out, sleeping in the passenger's seat. Vanessa laid back on the bed and turned the TV on to wait for her friend to return, sending her a text to remember that they did have to leave early the next morning, and to not stay out too late.

~!~

Ashton was having the time of her life. She had already had two of those amazing drinks and could feel her head buzz, but luckily she was still fully aware of what she was doing, just without the stupid feeling that she was going to embarrass herself at any moment. At this particular moment, her and Bill were on the dance floor, chest to chest with his hands on her hips as they danced to the fast paced music. Normally, she would be blushing like a school girl at this, but with her newly found confidence, she didn't bother worrying about that, and was just having a great time with the hot blonde man holding her close. She did blush, however, when the phone in her front pocket started to vibrate. How embarrassing since a certain part of the other just happened to be pressed against it. She blushed as they moved off the dance floor so she could check her phone. After reading the text, she signed and closed her phone, looking up at Bill with a small smile.

"Who was that?" he asked curious as he sipped on the last of his drink. He had only had one as he was the responsible driver that was getting the other back to her hotel after all. He, of course, wished he could have drank more, but oddly enough, with Ashton around, he didn't seem to need the alcohol to be able to have as much fun as he usually did. In fact, he found that he might have even enjoyed himself more tonight than normally. He listened as she explained that her friend was complaining about her being out so long, since they needed to leave the next morning. He nodded understandingly until he registered what she had said. "Leaving?" he asked, disappointment in his voice. Ashton nodded and explained how her and her friend, Vanessa were on a road trip across the western states. Bill was disappointed but nodded. Of course it would be his luck that when he finally found a girl he could actually like and possibly trust, she wasn't even going to be sticking around. He should have guessed since they were staying in a hotel, but he just hadn't thought about it. "Well, if you want to go back, I can drive you back. Though I have to be honest, I'm disappointed that you're not sticking around. I would have liked for us to go out again." He smiled at her as they walked out to his car, glad that the paparazzi had finally disappeared. When he checked the clock and it showed it was already three in the morning, he was shocked. No wonder her friend was asking where she was. "I'm sorry I kept you out so late, I didn't mean for it to go so late."

"Don't worry. I had a great time, Bill. Yeah, I wish we could stay longer, but my parents are paying for this trip and if they see we aren't leaving LA…well, they might get a big suspicious of what we're doing here," she said with a soft giggle. She knew for certain that if her parents knew she was at a nightclub with a twenty-three year old man, drinking none the less, they would not be very pleased with her. Luckily for her, they had no way of finding out! So hah! She grinned at that thought. It really did suck that she couldn't stay longer. She wasn't sure, and she hated to say such things so fast, but she thought she might actually be falling for the blonde man. And not just for the star that she had known for years, but the man behind the face that she had gotten to know tonight.

Once they got to the hotel, Ashton sighed. She didn't want to leave. Bill noticed the look, and knew that she didn't want this night to end any more than he did. He wasn't sure why he was going to bother since she was leaving, but he leaned in and kissed her softly. Ashton froze in shock but quickly relaxed into the kiss, even returning the kiss a bit nervously, as she really had no idea what she was doing when it came to kissing. She really hadn't kissed anybody before. Well, once; with this boyfriend that she had in grade ten. But that was another story, and one that she didn't want to remember, thank you very much. Unfortunately, at some point they had to part lips, and the time came too soon for Ashton. Looking at him, she couldn't help but pout. Bill chuckled at the cute look, poking her lip lightly. "Don't pout, beautiful. It's adorable, but there's no need. You have my number, right? Give me a call sometime." He knew that he shouldn't be trusting someone he just met, especially with his lifestyle, but he didn't really care anymore. He liked her. She liked him. That was enough this time. Ashton nodded and sighed, opening the door as she said a quiet goodnight. Bill couldn't help get out as he watched her walk back to room, and run over to her. He pulled her into another soft kiss. He didn't know why he cared so much in just the one night, but the feeling he had was overwhelming and he really didn't want her to go. They stood outside the door for what seemed like forever, kissing, until Bill saw the curtain move out of the corner of his eye, and broke the kiss. He stroked her cheek softly looking at her sadly, not knowing the next time he would see her, if ever. "It seems your friend has been peeking at us. I should let you go because she comes out here and gives me shit for keeping you out so late," he said, chuckling. Ashton giggled softly and nodded. He was right. Vanessa would probably murder him for getting her back so late if he wasn't so gosh-darn good looking! They shared one last chaste kiss before Ashton mumbled a sad goodbye and went inside. Bill sighed deeply and went back to his car, driving home thinking deeply.


	4. Phoenix Part 1

After another hour or two of Vanessa questioning her about every detail of the date, they had finally gone to sleep, knowing that they would be leaving the next morning. The night had been a dream for Ashton and it didn't stop once she fell asleep. Throughout the night, she had dreamt over and over again of the date with Bill. It kept a smile on her lips right until morning. Ashton awoke the next morning when the cell phone by her head vibrated, signalling a phone call. She was glad that she hadn't turned the sound on. Her head was killing her. Of course, that might have something to do with the alcohol she had consumed the night before at the club. Whining as she woke grumpily, she grabbed her phone, not bothering to look at it as she answered sleepily, "….Hello?" She heard a soft, masculine laugh on the other end. She blinked and sat up, regretting it immediately as her head pounded but she just winced and held it.

"Bill?" she asked quietly. Was it Bill really calling her this early? Looking at the clock, she realized it was almost nine in the morning. Okay, so not so early. Why would Bill be calling her? It was sweet, don't get her wrong, but she was still curious. After the dreams she had during the night, she couldn't help but think that maybe that was supposed to mean something.

"…Who's Bill?" Ashton stopped. Huh? She looked at her phone, and saw the name on the screen flashing 'Cameron'. Oh, great. She hadn't even begun to think about what was going on with her and Cameron, and now she was going to have to explain who Bill was? She probably wasn't ever going to see Bill again. In fact, chances are they weren't even going to be able to keep up a conversation and they would just awkwardly stop talking to each other once it became obvious that this relationship, or whatever the hell it was, just wasn't going to work. She didn't know what to call it, but if she didn't know how to explain it to herself, then how was she going to even begin to explain it to Cam?

"Oh…nobody," she played off with a slight chuckle, hoping he would take her pathetic excuse, "You just caught me waking out of a dream is all." The quiet laugh on the other side of the call reassured her that he believed her, or at least was going to accept the response for the time being. Letting out a silent sigh in relief, she pulled a sweater over the tank top and yoga shorts she wore to bed and grabbed something out of her purse. Going outside, she sat on the sidewalk and pulled a cigarette out of the carton, lighting it before breathing out slowly. "So what's up Cam? You miss me already?" She had said it as a joke, but in the back of her mind, she still kind of hoped it was true. Just because Bill was out of her reach, despite the one magical night, it didn't mean that she should completely forget about Cam. She really liked him for years, and although she couldn't deny the feelings she had for Bill now, she couldn't ignore the pre-existing feelings for Cameron. Taking another deep drag, she talked with Cameron for almost half an hour, explaining LA to the other. Not that he really cared, but she loved the city already. She felt comfortable in this city.

Ashton wasn't much of a party girl, though she wished she could be. Her life was so boring, even more so before she had become friends with Vanessa at the beginning of their final year in high school. Her life was only mediocrely more exciting once she hung with Vanessa, meaning silly little things like skipping class to hang out behind the school and smoke, hanging out after school instead of going home, the one party she managed to go to, and the two times she tried weed. All in all, her life still wasn't as exciting as she hoped it would be. Yet, even though she had only spent two days in LA, she had met and dated one of the most eligible celebrities in the world, gone into a club and drank while underage, and made out in a red convertible, all in one night. Yeah, she liked LA. Of course, all this stuff she didn't tell Cameron. She wasn't ready yet to tell him about Bill. There was no need, but if there was she still wouldn't tell him. She was afraid of what the response might be. Either way, she wasn't going to like it. If he didn't care, that meant that he never really thought about her the way she had begun to feel about him, and if he did care, then he would have to hurt him because she would be with Bill. Of course, this is only if for some reason she managed to be with Bill again. So she probably wouldn't even have to choose. After all, there was still the option that she would end up with neither of them.

Cameron and Ashton talked for another hour before he had to go, and they hung up. Ashton lit another smoke and relaxed against the building. She looked up as the door opened and Vanessa came out, taking the stick from Ashton's hand, taking a drag herself and sitting beside her. They sat their quietly for a while, enjoying the cancer stick as Vanessa slowly woke up. Checking the time when they were done, the packed up their stuff and headed out on the road. Where to next? Next they were on their way to Phoenix, Arizona, and then up to the Grand Canyon. Ashton put the city into the GPS, and drove off.

~!~

Bill was sitting on the couch the next morning in his comfy sweats and shirt, looking at his phone. He was chewing on his lip, deep in thought, playing with the lip rings subconsciously. Should he call her? Ask her to stay another day? That might come off a bit clingy. Should he text her at least? He didn't want to wait too long and miss the chance. Sighing, he laid back on the couch, looking away from the fancy phone. He had no clue what to do. He felt the need to talk to her; he didn't want it all to slip away so easily. He stared at the ceiling, not sure what to do. He fought with himself on whether or not to call her. It wasn't uncommon to call the next day, but the next morning? It was only quarter to nine, would she even up already? He thought back to the night before. It had been so much fun, and she had looked so beautiful. Bill dazed off as he thought about the night, and Ashton. Her beautiful hair; her beautiful smile. He grinned as he thought about it, almost jumping in surprise when Tom's face suddenly appeared over the top of the couch.

"Jesus, Tom! You scared the shit outa me!" Bill said with a surprised yet annoyed tone as he sat up. Tom just snickered as he leaned against the couch. "What do you want?"

"Whoa, tone down the bitchiness, Bibi! I just came to check up on my favorite twin," Tom spoke with a wide grin. Bill just rolled his eyes at the stupid words. "You looked a little out of it. What's on your mind?" Bill looked at his twin and sighed. He couldn't hide something from him that easily it seemed.

"I went on a date last night," he said, continuing before his twin could say anything about not mentioning it earlier, "I can't get my mind off her, Tom. That's not good, is it?" He sighed and looked at his phone. He shouldn't fall so easily. It could be really dangerous, and although he was fairly certain that Ashton wasn't going to do something crazy, how did he really know? He should be more careful, and he normally was. He was very cautious about trusting people, especially people he had just met, but with her it was just…different. He had this feeling as soon as he saw her that he could trust her, even _after_ he knew she was a fan. That just didn't seem to matter much. He still didn't feel the need to worry. All he could possibly get from that was that she would understand his lifestyle. "I don't know, Tom. I really, really want to call her, but it's probably way too soon. She's probably already gone…"

"Gone?" Bill nodded, and explained to his brother about the trip, and how she had most likely already left LA by now. Tom just nodded, and looked thoughtful, before patting his twin's shoulder.

"Well, I would call her, lil' bro. There's no harm in it, okay?" Bill nodded and picked up the phone, calling her before he could talk himself out of it. He put it on speaker so Tom could hear. The busy tone that came from the phone made Bill sigh and hang up, throwing the phone aside. _It must be some sort of stupid sign. _Tom moved and sat beside his brother after moving the cell phone onto the coffee table. Looking over at him, Bill said nothing, so Tom spoke up.

"Well, it was worth a shot. Try again later if you want," he said with a shrug, and then grinned. "I've got just the thing to cheer you up. There's a music festival in Phoenix tonight. Why don't we take a drive out there and make it a night? We'll come back in the morning." Bill nodded. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea; and a good way to get his mind off of Ashton. Ha! Yeah, right.

~!~

Vanessa looked down the road. Not a car in sight. Sighing, she leaned against the back of the car, the cigarette to her lips as she kept a lookout for anybody who might happen to drive down the road. She groaned in frustration. Why wasn't anyone around? It was a major road, she figured there would be tons of cars, and yet….nope. They had the worst luck ever! Their car had broken down an hour ago, and Ashton couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. They now sat on the back of the car, each with a cancer stick in their mouth and not a clue what to do. The sun was unbearably hot, but in their tanks and shorts, it was a good chance for a suntan, if only they were in Phoenix, and not the side of the road somewhere in between LA, and their destination. Hearing Ashton sigh, she looked over.

"Nobody….not a single car! Where _is _everybody? This is a main highway for fuck sakes!" Vanessa nodded, sharing in Ashton's frustrations. What could she possibly do in the middle of the road? She wanted to be in Phoenix, having fun, enjoying the sun and meeting cute guys like the one from the beach the night before. Oh! He had given her his number! Maybe he could help her out. It was a long shot, but they weren't too far out of LA yet, maybe if she was lucky then he would come out and fix their car for them. He might even take his shirt off! She grinned and pulled out her phone, thankful when she had good service and quickly text the number he had given her.

_Hey~ How's it going?_

She didn't have to wait too long before a reply came.

_Great : ) Glad to hear from you! What are you up to today? Me and my brother are going to a music festival in Phoenix tonight if you want to come?_

Vanessa grinned. No way.

_Actually, me and my friend were on our way to Phoenix, but our car broke down : (_

Her phone beeped as he replied almost right away.

_Say no more. We're on our way to help : )_

Vanessa squealed and sat up, earning a strange look from Ashton. Looking at her, she grinned. "We've got some help in the form of guys coming to help us out! And I know for a fact that at least one of them is hot, but he's mine so hands off" She giggled as she talked playfully, winking at her friend. Ashton blinked and looked at her in shock.

"Well, I don't know who you got to help us, but you don't have to worry about me stealing 'your man'," she said, snickering. Vanessa rolled her eyes. Of course, she knew that. Ashton still had her head in the clouds about that famous guy she went out with. Granted, yeah, it was cool. Not many girls their age could say that they went on a date with a famous person, and have it actually have been a good date. It was an accomplishment, but really? It wasn't like they were dating, or that they even knew the other was serious. It was a one-time thing, yet her friend would just NOT stop thinking about it. It was almost to the point where it was annoying having to constantly bring her back from spacing out; dreaming about Bill, no doubt.

~!~

"Oh come on, Bill. Cheer up, and stop staring at the phone. We're on our way to help out two ladies stranded in the desert. How can this NOT be a good opportunity? Maybe they'll even come with us to the festival?" He said with a smile, poking his brother's side, knowing how ticklish he was, trying to get a smile from him. It came easily, along with a childish giggle. He grinned and returned his gaze back to the road. "Besides, if her friend is anything like this girl…wow, I swear you'll forget all about your date. I mean, this girl is gorgeous!" Tom smiled, though knew that might not have made his brother forget the girl. It didn't seem to make much of a difference to Bill though, as he was still spaced out, looking out the skylight. Tom continued to drive down the highway, happy that it was so clear. It would take them half the time to get there if it kept up this way. He kept an eye on the side of the road for any signs of the girls, smiling when he saw the car on the side of the road, with two amazingly hot chicks sitting on the back of the car, soaking up the sun and waiting for someone to help. Smirking, he noticed the girl from beach, Vanessa. Her short bright blue shorts and white tank top that clung to her tan skin shivers down his spine. God, she looked great. Even better than the night they had met. Looking over at Bill, he noticed his brother had fallen asleep. Rolling his eyes, he pulled off to the side and got out of the black Escalade. "How can I help ladies?"

Vanessa looked up and grinned. "Tom! You're here, thank god! It's so hot out I think I might die!" She grinned and got up off of the car. Tom smiled and went over hugging her and saying a hello. Vanessa grinned and looked to Ashton as she got off the car. "Tom, this is my friend, Ashton." Tom smiled and nodded to her. Ashton smiled a beautiful smile in return. Oh yeah, he was right. Bill would just LOVE her. If only he'd ever wake up.

"Nice to meet you," he said politely, though kept his arm around Vanessa, which Ashton noticed though said nothing about, "Let's check out that engine, yeah?" Tom grinned and went with the girls to look at the engine. Vanessa stood back and watched from a distance while Tom tinkered around with the engine. Ashton, however, was right in there with him, watching to see what he did to her precious baby. Vanessa had no interest about whatever went on underneath the cover of the car, and even less interest in getting dirty because of it. Instead, she wandered along the side of the road. Looking up, she saw another tall man, this time blonde, coming out of the escalade. She blinked as she stared and could not believe her eyes. Wasn't this the same guy Ashton was just out with? What were the odds? She smirked when the boy introduced himself, realizing that he didn't recognize her. Not a problem. This could be quite interesting to watch, and after sitting on the side of the road for hours, Vanessa couldn't wait to see what would happen next. This was going to be just hilarious.


	5. Phoenix Part 2

Tom looked at the engine, sure he had fixed it but wanting to make sure. He had checked the oil and gotten the black liquid all over the white tank he had been wearing in the process. He didn't mind since it was an older tank, but he _did _happen to mind when some got on his face. Wiping it off with his hand then onto the soiled shirt, he stood up and smiled at Ashton. "That should do it!" Ashton grinned brightly, though she had gotten lost with what the other was doing long ago.

"Great, thanks so much Tom," she said with a small smile. It was pretty cool that somehow Vanessa had managed to meet the other half of her own date and on top of that had managed to convince him to come out and help them out. It was clear that Vanessa didn't know that Tom was indeed the twin to her date from the night before but Ashton was sure she would mention it as soon as they were on the road again and she didn't plan to shut up about it for a while either. For a major fan, meeting both bothers in separate occasions was a really extraordinary event.

"So Tom," she started, "Where'd you meet my friend?" She couldn't help but notice the muscles he'd developed even more during the band's break. He looked good, and she admitted to herself that the change of hair was nice too, though she hadn't minded the cornrows.

"We met on the beach last night," Tom shrugged, "We were just sitting there and got talking." Ashton watched him carefully as he spoke, not sure if she would believe him yet or not. Tom had that reputation after all. They could have slept together for all she knew. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you tell her who you are?" Tom gave her a funny look, as if questioning just what Ashton was asking. The auburn-haired girl just looked at him expectantly. Tom raised a brow.

"No, I didn't. She didn't ask; I didn't tell. It's just something we've learned to do. Obviously you know, so what, are you a fan?" Ashton nodded, but didn't stay on the topic for long. She looked at the other seriously, speaking a bit quieter, just in case.

"Look, if you hurt her in any way," she started, but was instantly cut off as Tom stood back a bit with his hands raised and a small smirk on his lips.

"Don't worry. She's dating someone, I get it; hands off. You don't have to worry." Ashton nodded. Tom gave the engine one more look over before concluding that he was done his work. "It should work now. What are you two going to Phoenix for anyways?"

Ashton shut the hood of the car and moved around the side of the car as she talked with the dreadlocked boy. She looked around for Vanessa to tell her that they could head back out on the road again and saw her standing by the black Escalade, talking to a tall blonde man. Ashton's eyes widened as she realized just exactly the identity of the man talking with her best friend.

~!~

Bill looked up as he saw his brother coming back and couldn't help but stare at the girl standing beside Tom. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He had just woken up from a pretty intense dream while sleeping in the Escalade and she was in it. Blushing deeply, he pushed the memory away. What was she doing here? He remembered what his brother had told him about a friend of his getting stuck on the highway on their way to Phoenix, and that he was going to help them on their way, but there was no way that Tom knew Ashton. They weren't even from around here.

He blinked confused and looked between Tom and Ashton before he remembered the girl standing beside him. Looking to the girl he'd been talking to, he realized that this must have been the 'friend' that Tom had been talking about. Bill didn't know what to say. He saw Ashton looking at him just as shocked and shook himself out of his dazed stupor and went over quickly.

"Ashton?" he said, going over quickly with a grin, "What are you doing here?" He hoped he didn't sound rude, so he kept the smile on his face. He was happy to see her; had hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. She smiled and seemed relieved about something. Bill shook it off and smiled brightly.

~!~

"I am _so _confused right now," Tom said to Vanessa as they walked away to give the other two some privacy. Vanessa just smiled at him and looked at the man beside her. God, he was gorgeous, and his smile…wow. Vanessa blinked and looked away quickly. She really shouldn't be thinking anything like that. She had a boyfriend and as much of an asshole he could be, she couldn't cheat on him. It wasn't like her; and as much as she found Tom attractive, she couldn't even think those thoughts without feeling guilty.

Her phone went off, signalling a phone call and she looked at it. _Kevin. _Sighing, she looked apologetically at Tom and walked off to endure yet another long conversation.

~!~

After much convincing, Bill had finally talked Ashton into coming with them to the concert. It had been a touch difficult, but Bill had always had a talent of convincing people. He was _very _good at it. He just had the charisma that made it just _too _easy. They had decided that Ashton would drive behind them so they knew where to go and then off they went.

Pulling into the large gravel parking lot, Tom got out of the car first, Bill following soon after. The girls were out of the car and looking around already. Bill watched Ashton smile as her eyes scanned the area and the masses of people heading towards to the stage. He couldn't help but notice her eyes sparkle with excitement and it made him smile.

~!~

The music was loud and there were people everywhere. Most of them were drunk, but everybody was having a good time. The twins had managed to sneak the girls drinks throughout the night and they were all sitting on a blanket on the grass, listening to the music and having a good time.

Bill was leaning back on his elbows on the grass as he watched the show. Ashton was resting against him, head on his stomach as she watched the show. Bill couldn't help but smile and play with a piece of curled hair. She was almost more entertaining to watch than the show. He smiled as she looked back at him with a half-drunk grin. Bill laughed and sat up more, leaning over her and kissing her lips softly.

Bill was so happy that he had another day with this beautiful girl that he could barely hold back his smile. Kissing her again, he pulled back slightly, whispering in her ear before taking her hand and helping her up. Ashton grinned as they walked off together. Bill held her close, kissing her forehead gently sneaking away with her quickly, grinning happily and laughing along with her.

~!~

Tom was lying on the blanket with Vanessa, stroking her hair softly. She had been quiet most the night, and even though she went through drinks faster than any of them, she didn't really seem to loosen up any. In fact, she had become even more down if that was even possible.

"Are you okay?" he spoke close to her ear so that she could hear him through the music. The blonde looked up at him quietly but didn't answer. Tom looked at her worriedly and stroked her cheek. He had noticed, first with the fiery conversation she had over the phone and with the tears he had noticed her wipe away. He said nothing but it still bothered him. Whoever she had talked with had upset her, and had been upsetting her the whole weekend.

"…Can we go somewhere quieter and talk?" Her voice was soft and fragile, and Tom was surprised to feel even more worried. He barely knew this girl, and yet even with their first meeting it wasn't about just having a night of fun. They had just spent a night talking and it was nice talking with someone for once who didn't know who he was. Now it was time to repay the favour.

The walked around the outskirts of the area; holding hands and just walked by the fence slowly. Tom had yet to hear anything from the blonde as they walked, but he wasn't going to press her into talking. She had asked to go somewhere to talk and when she was ready she would say something. Tom was proud of himself for having so much restraint. For some reason this girl brought a lot of the best of him out into the open. Vanessa paused in her walk, and he looked at her quietly.

"What's this about?" He asked nervously, not sure if he was going to want to hear the answer. Still, he waited patiently as Vanessa looked at him, upset and unsure. He stroked her cheek, but she pulled away. Tom bit his lip nervously.

"The phone call earlier…,"Vanessa started, "It was Kevin."

"Kevin…the boyfriend?" Tom frowned. Judging by their talk on the beach, Tom had already based an opinion of this so-called boyfriend and it wasn't a good one. He seemed like a real jerk if everything that the girl before him had mentioned was true, and why wouldn't it be? She had no reason to lie to Tom, just as Tom had no reason to lie to her. Well, actually yeah he did. He had plenty of reasons including the band to lie to her but that didn't mean that he would. Tom really didn't want to lie to Vanessa; he really felt the need to trust her. Vanessa sighed and looked down then shrugged.

"The _ex-_boyfriend now…," she explained quietly and Tom sighed sympathetically .So that would explain why she had been so down during the show and why it had all started right after the phone call. As far as Tom was concerned, Kevin could count himself lucky that Tom wasn't near him or the fucker would probably be dead by now. From some of the things that he had heard, it should have happened a long time ago; the break up, not Tom killing him. As much as Tom would love to beat the shit out of the guy, it wouldn't do well for his public appearance.

Tom pulled Vanessa into a hug and tried to help her calm down and relax a bit. They stayed out in the field for a while, laying in the grass and looking at the stars. The music was still playing in the background, though quieter from where they were, and Tom listened quietly as Vanessa explained the conversation. Right from the beginning, it had been that asshole that had started to accuse Vanessa of cheating on him when she simply mentioned that a guy was fixing their car. It was a rude and presumptuous thing for him to do and Tom was proud of Vanessa when she fought against it.

Apparently they ended up in a big fight over who was really cheating and Kevin had even said at some point that he had been sleeping with someone else. Tom looked furious at the fact that he had hurt this girl that much. He relaxed a bit when he had to realize the fact that he slept around way more during their tour days than most guys and he really had no right to judge something like that, but it still angered him that this guy thought it was okay to cheat on his beautiful girlfriend, lie about it and then laugh in her face about it when they were breaking up. Tom did _not _agree with that.

Eventually, the two were relaxed and Vanessa had even started smiling as Tom talked to her about random topics. He was just trying to make her feel better and it seemed to be working, though eventually they decided to go back before Bill and Ashton started to worry about them. As they walked back, Tom heard familiar voices coming from a hidden spot behind the thick trees and motioned to Vanessa to be quiet as they snuck around to check out the "mysterious" noises.

The area was simple. The ground was covered in gravel and it had a picnic bench with an unlit fire pit. Tom raises a brow as he saw his brother and the red-haired girl engaging in what seemed to be quite a heated kiss. Ashton was sitting on the table with Bill between her legs pressed against her and shirtless. The shirt lay forgotten on the table and Ashton's hands were exploring the man's chest and back eagerly. Vanessa's eyes were wide as she watched silently in shock. Bill's own hands had worked their way up her friend's shirt, running over her sides and back.

Tom wanted to leave them be, wanting to give his brother privacy and almost hoping he would be getting some action so that he would stop being the pouty, whiney Bill he had to put up with all day, but Vanessa thought otherwise. She knew her friend and Ashton would not want to be having her first time on an old picnic table behind some bushes in a concert. Vanessa was determined to stop it before Ashton could be pressured into doing anything and before Tom could say anything she walked right out into the open and cleared her throat.

"So…when you two are done sucking face I thought we could all get back to the concert?" Vanessa smirked proudly when she saw them pull away quickly in surprise. Bill gave her a playful glare for interrupting him but Vanessa had none of that. She was going to look out for her friend no matter what and that meant absolutely no guy hormones interfering or pressuring; no matter what. Bill grabbed his shirt and slipped it back on, kissing one of Ashton's very red cheeks as she stood up off the table. Vanessa saw the embarrassed look her friend gave her but knew that she would understand why she interrupted.

The four went back to their spot and got comfortable once more as they enjoyed the show, each of them seeming a bit happier and the girl's definitely noticed the change. Smiling at each other, they relaxed and enjoyed the festival. It was a great night to be out under the stairs with two gorgeous and totally available guys.

~!~

Bill was kind of put out that Vanessa had interrupted at just the wrong time, but he was even more put out by the fact that Ashton had to be "protected" from him just because he was a guy. He got the fact that the blonde didn't trust guys; he got that impression right away just from the small conversation he'd had with her on the side of the road but did that really mean that he was just as bad? She didn't even know him! He couldn't argue because she was just being a good friend, but Bill still wished that the girls would be able to understand that Ashton didn't need to be protected from him. He was hoping that it would have been the other way; he wanted to be the one protecting her.

The blonde man watched the stars as he held onto the red-haired girl sleeping on his chest. A bunch of other people had brought tents or left, but apparently his brother hadn't thought of that. Luckily both the twins and the girls had blankets and sweaters in the vehicles and the couples curled up under the thick blankets to keep warm in the cool night. Bill wasn't complaining about having the beautiful girl pressed against him for warmth but it definitely didn't help the little glares he kept getting from the blonde curled up with his brother. What was her deal anyways? Did Bill really look like he was going to hurt Ashton? He really hoped not.

Bill was glad when he realized that by some miracle, Ashton was one of the girls stranded on the side of the road his brother decided to help. It allowed him to see her again and to spend the night at the music festival with her. He had enjoyed the night and he really hoped that Ashton did, too; though there was little evidence to try and prove otherwise. The two had an amazing night which had ended up in the very heated kiss that, if it had not been interrupted, Bill probably would have stopped soon enough himself. He didn't want to ruin this new friendship-relationship 'thing' that had been started between them by pushing her too fast. He had decided long before his brother showed up that he wouldn't do anything the red-haired girl didn't want to do.

Looking back to the stars, he sighed and tried to ignore the glares. He really didn't appreciate not being trusted when he had done nothing wrong. Silently, Bill decided that the next day he would talk with the blonde and try and convince her that he wasn't out to hurt Ashton. In fact, he really liked her. He just had to make her friend see that too. He was a good guy and now he had to defend his honor. As he himself dozed off to sleep, he created a plan in his mind of what he would say to Vanessa to convince her. With a bit of help from his brother, he was sure that he could change her mind. He had to, because he wasn't going to let go of this amazing girl just yet.


	6. Secrets

Ashton woke in the early morning, feeling the grass around them, covered in the fresh morning dew. Blinking a few times, she moved out of Bill's arms and got up. It was cold this morning and she shivered, wrapping the black sweater around her tightly.

Walking through the slight fog, she moved away from the other campers and lit a smoke as she walked around the empty field. Her mind wandered back home. Her parents probably wanted to hear from her and want to know where they were. What was she supposed to tell them? They were supposed to be leaving Phoenix today. The boys were staying in Phoenix another day for the second half of the festival and Ashton wanted more than anything to stay with them; to stay with Bill.

She needed to call her parents before they got worried and mad. She had no idea what she would say other than to lie, but her parents would know when they didn't pay for gas somewhere they should have been. Maybe it would be best to just tell them straight out. After all, she was nineteen, and her birthday was so close she could hardly wait. She was old enough to make her own decisions now. They would understand, right?

She took her phone out of her pocket and brought the number of her parents up on the screen. Taking a deep breath, she pressed talk. It rang twice before someone answered, her mom's voice coming from the phone, cheerful and practiced as always.

"Hello dear. Glad to see you finally remembered to call your poor mother." Ashton rolled her eyes at her mother's usual pity party. Her mother never gave it a rest. She felt the nerves rise into her chest. "so where are you girls?" Ashton swallowed hard.

"We're at Phoenix, mom." Not technically a lie. The festival was only about ten miles out of Phoenix. According to their plan, Phoenix was just an overnight stay on their way to the Grand Canyon, which wasn't too far out of the way either. Now she would have to explain somehow that they were not on their way to the Grand Canyon and that they were at a rock concert with two twenty-three year old guys.

"Where are you off to today?" There it was. The question she was worried would come up. Unfortunately, she had to answer, and truthfully. She had to defend herself and her decisions for once in her life. She just hoped that for the first time, her mother would listen to her and understand. She didn't want to consider what might happen if her mother didn't understand. She couldn't let that become an option.

"Actually, Mom, we're going to stay in Phoenix another day."

"What? Why? That's not part of the plan you arranged with me and your father. You need to stick to that plan. That was the deal," Ashton heard her mother sigh, "What's so important that you want to stay there longer?" Ashton shut her eyes and sighed, leaning against a picnic table.

"We're at a concert. The second half is tonight." Ashton waited for her mom to freak out and sure enough her mother's voice came back through the phone twice as loud as before.

"What the hell are you doing a concert!" And there it was. Ashton stayed silent. She didn't know what to say. Eventually, it was all going to come out and then what? At the moment, she would have to explain the concert and keep in mind that this wouldn't be the worst of this conversation.

"Mom, Vanessa and I are with a couple of friends who got us into the concert. We're staying at the concert with them. They're very nice." Ashton knew she was really beating around the bus about them being guys. Not that it would matter. Her mother was going to freak either way.

"You're there with a couple of strangers! Oh Ashton, I thought we had brought you up better than this! What are their names?" Ashton sighed. Her mother, once again, was turning this into all about her. Well, if she wanted something to get upset about, Ashton would give it to her. At first, she had thought maybe her mom would drop it, but now that seemed inevitable and the more her mom yelled, the angrier she got. Her mom wanted confrontation; well she's got it now.

"Bill and Tom. The guy's names are Bill and Tom. Are you happy now? Of course not! You never are unless you're putting someone down, are you? Mom, I'm sick of you making every decision for me. I can make my own decisions now and I am making this one now. I can handle myself!" Ashton ended her rant with a heavy sigh. Had she really just said all that? She was a bit frightened what would happen now but she was also relieved that she finally voiced at least _some_ of what had been bothering her the past years with her parents. All the things she never had the courage to say.

"Where did all of this suddenly come from? We send you off and three days later you're out at concerts with strange men! I think those guys are putting ideas in your head! I can't believe you're THIS irresponsible" Ashton sighed and let her mom scream away. What else was she going to do; bring her home? So be it, but at least she would stay for the rest of the concert. "Fine then, if you're so sure that you don't need your mother anymore, then you got your wish. I'm taking away the trip money from your account. After all, you can fend for yourself now, right? Good luck." With that, Ashton heard her mother hang up but she didn't move to do the same. She didn't move at all.

Ashton sat down at the table, stunned by what just happened. Did she just get disowned? It sure seemed that way. What was she going to do? Vanessa and her were stranded far away from home with only a couple hundred dollars left of her own saved money and a car that barely ran. Obviously, she couldn't go home. Where would she go?

After another smoke, she had calmed down enough to go back to where the other's wer. She noticed that Vanessa was sitting alone on the blanket. What was she going to say to her friend now? How would she explain that because of her overly truthful outburst they were now stranded with no money and nowhere to go? With or without a plan, Ashton had no choice but to go over and tell her best friend. Walking over, she sat beside Vanessa.

"We need to talk," she tried starting. Her voice was a bit shaky but she made sure it was clear. She couldn't break down or even seem weak in front of Vanessa. The blonde may have taught Ashton a lot of life skills and how to get over nerves and such, but Ashton was still better at handling seemingly hopeless situations. She could just handle the pressure a lot better than Vanessa. Vanessa wouldn't be able to deal with this if she knew Ashton couldn't deal with it.

"Yeah, we do," Vanessa spoke up, surprising Ashton into momentary silence. _What? _"Ashton, I don't want you getting involved with Bill." The red-head stared at her friend as if she was crazy. _Where the hell did that come from? _

"What are you talking about, Vanessa?" Ashton asked carefully. Whatever made Vanessa suddenly distrust Bill, Ashton _needed _to know about it. As far as Ashton had known, Vanessa didn't care whether or not she was with Bill but something had apparently changed. Vanessa was looking at Ashton with a serious look that the red-head had never saw Vanessa have before. Ashton felt a pang of fear in her chest. "Vanessa, what's going on? You're scaring me."

"Look, Ashton, he's not like the guys from school. He's a twenty-three year old _man. _He has needs and he knows _what _he wants and _how _to get it." Vanessa was still giving Ashton that serious look, but Ashton was still stuck on the blonde's words. Was she fucking serious? She was trying to tell her that Bill only wanted to sleep with her, and then what? Leave her?

At first, Ashton was mad. How could her best friend tell her to step away from a guy that she obviously really liked? Vanessa knew that she liked Bill; she wouldn't have been making out with him if she didn't think it could have been something later on.

Then Ashton realized what Vanessa was trying to do. She was just trying to protect her friend. For all the red-head knew, Vanessa was right and Bill was only looking to have a bit of fun. Of course that's what was going on! He was a guy who barely knew Ashton; why would he be actually interested? He was a rockstar and she…well, she was a nobody. How stupid had she been? Sighing, she looked at Vanessa and nodded slowly.

"You're probably right. It doesn't make sense for him to want anything to do with me," she said quietly, then looked at Vanessa, "What about Tom? Aren't you worried it's the same with him?" Vanessa just shook her head.

"Tom and I are just friends, Ashton."

"Then what was with the walk about last night?" Vanessa blushed, raising Ashton's curiousity more.

"We were talking. Yesterday, on the road, Kevin called," Ashton stared in shock as Vanessa spoke, "Kevin and I broke up. Tom was just…helping me calm down. We talked about it and he just…reasoned it out with me. It doesn't hurt anymore. He's just being a really good friend." Ashton nodded quietly in understanding. "Ashton, Bill and Tom…they can be friends. I think they would be very good friends, but just…you have to be careful, okay? Don't let _friendship _get out of hand. You'll only get hurt." Ashton sighed and nodded. Vanessa was right. If she let this continue, she would be the only one getting hurt.

"You're right," Ashton nodded, "Thank you." Vanessa smiled, nodded her head and hugged her friend. As they pulled away, Vanessa looked at Ashton curiously.

"You said we needed to talk? About what?" Ashton grew nervous again and bit her lip. She had to find the best way to bring this up. _God, there's no good way to tell someone something like this. _

"Well, I-," Ashton stopped as the boys came back with a hot McDonald's breakfast. Ashton tensed slightly when Bill sat beside her. She silently accepted the Egg McMuffin and ate quietly. She felt Bill's eyes on her but she couldn't look at him. She had to figure out what to do about him. What did she want? What did he want? At this point, neither question was what really mattered. She had bigger problems.

She had no home, little money and no plan of what to do. She had enough gas to take Vanessa home, since she still had one and then she didn't know what to do. She had no friends to stay with; Vanessa's parents wouldn't let her stay with them. She didn't really want to either.

Vanessa's parents were in most cases just as bad as her own. The only difference being they didn't care if people saw them argue. Ashton's parents only ever cared about how other's saw them. Appearances were everything to them. Ashton blinked and let her thoughts fade as she looked at the others enjoying their breakfast and chatting happily. She smiled and ate her own sandwich. She didn't have to think about it _just _yet.

The four looked up as a voice came over the intercom. They listened as the voice explained that there were heavy storm warnings and the second part of the concert was cancelled. The group looked at each other for a moment, not really sure what to do now.

"Well, now what?" Vanessa spoke up, looking at them. Ashotn stayed quiet, not sure if it was wise to say anything. They talked and came to the agreement to stay a night in a hotel and have their own party instead' booze and all. Ashton welcomed the idea. At a moment like this, getting hammered sounded like an amazing idea.

~!~

Bill sat in the small hotel with the others as they drank. Beer in hand, he watched the others. Each girl was lying on one of the beds on their stomach, and his brother was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed Vanessa was on.

Bill on the other hand, was sitting on the floor against the wall, facing Ashton. However, the girl barely looked at him. She had been quiet all day and Bill was worried about what happened earlier that day.

Bill had woke up without her with them and he didn't know what had happened but when Tom and him had returned with breakfast she had been quiet and even cold towards Bill. She wouldn't even look at him and she tensed whenever he got even remotely close to her. He knew something must have happened, but he had never had a chance to get her away from Vanessa so that he could ask what was wrong.

Bill watched as Ashton finished her fifth drink. Everybody else was only on their second, but the red-head seemed determined to get completely wasted before nine o' clock. It was obvious to the blonde man that Ashton wanted to run from whatever was bothering her. She seemed to want to avoid it at any costs. He just wanted to help her but he needed her to talk to him.

For some reason she didn't trust him anymore and Bill wanted to know why. He didn't want their possible relationship to be going backwards. He wanted to move forward with her but right now she wanted nothing to do with him and he had a fairly good idea why.

Bill looked over at Vanessa and frowned. She was once again glaring at him, as she had been ever since she interrupted Ashton and him the night before. Bill wasn't a stupid man. He knew that Vanessa saw what was going on and immediately thought the worst of him. She wanted to protect Ashton from whatever she thought Bill was, but Bill wasn't that type of person. He didn't want to hurt Ashton, but obviously Vanessa thought differently.

Vanessa had gone back to her conversation with Tom and was now ignoring Bill all together. Looking over to the bed where Ashton had been only minutes ago, Bill was confused when she wasn't there. Quickly scoping the room, he realized she wasn't anywhere in the room at all. Looking back at the two, he knew they hadn't even noticed she'd left. Either that or they just didn't care.

"Guys, where's Ashton?" Bill spoke up, looking at the two. Tom was laughing as Vanessa giggled along with him. Bill frowned and tried again, speaking louder. "Guys!" The two looked over at Bill stupidly, as if he was crazy for speaking loudly.

"What, dude?" Tom's lazy voice, the one he only used when he was drunk or on his way to being drunk. Bill frowned at that. How the hell could neither of them have heard them? What the hell was so important anyways? Bill rolled his eyes but was glad that he had their attention.

"Ashton – where is she?" he repeated again, pointing to the empty bed. Both Tom and Vanessa looked over to the bed. Bill expected them to be just as shocked as him, but instead they just shrugged it off and smiled. Bill looked from Vanessa to Tom as if they were crazy.

"Bro, she just left; said something about going to the store for smokes and snacks. I asked her to get me some more smokes. She only left like…ten minutes ago? How far off into your mind were you that you didn't notice that?"

Tom laughed and Vanessa's giggles joined them but Bill was furious; not only at them but also at himself. He had gotten so deep into his thoughts about protecting the red-head that she had managed to walk away right in front of him without him noticing a thing.

"Are you two fucking crazy? She's drunk off her ass and you let her wander out alone in a bad neighborhood in a city that she doesn't know?" Bill stormed around the room, grabbing his phone and coat before leaving quickly.

As he walked down the street, he kept an eye out for Ashton and thought about what Tom had said. _She left ten minutes ago to go to the store down the street. _Bill looked around and spotted the gas station convenience store. It was well lit, which relieved Bill slightly and when he got closer he saw Ashton through the window, paying for her things and leaving. Bill smiled, relieved he had found her, safe and sound.

Bill watched her walk out of the building and back towards the hotel. Other than stumbling occasionally, she seemed perfectly fine. He slowly made his way closer to her, watching as she stopped to light a smoke. Bill's eyes widened as a man came from the alley and grabbed the red-head.

Bill heard her scream as he ran as fast as he could. He needed to get to her; he need to protect her. He raced to the alley and caught up to them. Grabbing the man by his shirt, he pulled him away roughly. Bill pushed him away and up against the wall. Without hesitation, Bill hit him hard, the man falling to the ground unconscious. Bill blinked and looked at the man, unaware he could even hit that hard.

Ashton came up behind him and put a hand on Bill's shoulder, making him jump. He turned and looked at her. Her face showed fear through a slight buzz still left behind. He sighed and pulled her into a hug. He was surprised and relieved when she actually hugged back. Sighing in relief, he reluctantly pulled back and looked at her, stroking her cheek.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Bill had just wanted to take her back and pretend everything would just go back to normal but somewhere inside of himself he knew that wasn't going to happen. He needed to find out what she was told so that he could correct it. Ashton looked at him quietly but looked away. Bill sighed.

"You know I would never hurt you, right?" Ashton looked at him quietly for what seemed like hours before nodding. Bill sighed and nodded. "Okay then. Let's go back. I think you need rest." Ashton smiled at him softly and cautiously took his hand. Bill smiled at that, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Whatever it was, it could wait. Slowly, things would work themselves out.


End file.
